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Seaton Ranch Company Records, 1917-1970

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seaton Ranch Company
Title
Seaton Ranch Company Records
Dates
1917-1970 (inclusive)
Quantity
4 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 157 (collection)
Summary
The Seaton Ranch Company was organized in Cascade County, Montana, in 1922 by Frank W. Seaton and Theodora E. Seaton, and operated from 1945 to 1965 by their son Edward W. Seaton, and from 1965 to 1970 by his widow Dorothy M. Seaton. Records include financial records (1944-1968), minute and record books (1922, 1942-1968); subject files, primarily concerning the Production Credit Association from 1952 to 1968; and miscellany. There is a small subgroup of records (1939-1960) of The Sanitary Cleaners, in Great Falls.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

Frank W. Seaton and his family moved from McCune (Macoun), Saskatchewan, Canada, to the Cascade-Fort Shaw, Montana, area in 1910. The Seaton Ranch Company, originally organized as a sheep business, was incorporated on July 27, 1922, by F.W. Seaton, his wife Theodora Seaton, and Ralph E. Bancroft.

Following the death of F.W. Seaton in November 1945, his oldest son, Edward W. Seaton, was chosen as company president. In 1965 the firm owned a herd of more than 30,000 sheep and held interests in wheat and cattle. The company possessed property not only in Cascade County, but also in Browning, Montana. In the 1960s the company was involved in a court case with Browning over the proposed location of the municipal sewage system adjacent to Seaton Ranch Company land.

Ed Seaton, who resided with his family in Fort Shaw, served for several years as a school trustee for that town and for Simms and was a Republican candidate for the Montana House of Representatives in 1960. Seaton died of a heart attack on December 29, 1965.

Dorothy M. Seaton, Edward's wife, was also an officer of the Seaton Ranch Company, serving as vice president, secretary, and, in 1966, following her husband's death, president. At that time Harold A. Johnson, an accountant, became the company's secretary and Robert W. Gronberg was elected vice president. The Seaton Ranch Company remained in operation until 1968 when the ranch holdings were sold to the local Hutterite Colony.

Harold A. Johnson was also an accountant for The Sanitary Cleaners of Great Falls which was owned by William J. Burlingame.

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Content Description

This collection contains financial records of the Seaton Ranch Company, including annual statements, ledgers, journals, timebooks, etc. Two volumes of organizational materials, including minutes, by-laws, and articles of incorporation, detail some of the company's operational activities. The subject files have been maintained in original order as received from the donor. These materials deal primarily with financial matters. The Miscellaneous subgroup in the collection contains two financial volumes for The Sanitary Cleaners and bank statements for the Simms Women's Society of Christian Service.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by series. Some material housed in Manuscript Volumes. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. See inventory below for more information.

Location of Collection

7:5-1

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Laundries
  • Ranches

Corporate Names

  • Seaton Ranch Company (creator)

Geographical Names

  • Browning (Mont.)
  • Cascade County (Mont.)
  • Great Falls (Mont.)-Commerce

Finding aid prepared by MHS
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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